Doing well

I awoke on the morning of my two week anniversary of surgery and felt really well. Still can't rotate the head and such but the discomfort is way down. I feel like a baby that has lost it's umbilical cord. The last of the glue fell off the incision and it's a nice pink area with just a slight bump in the scare. With time it shouldn't be too bad. I don't feel like the victim of a CSI show anymore. I thought I'd have to change my wardrobe to include scarves and big necklaces. I think I can get by with a nice couple carat diamond pendant choker. Even braved a trip to the office with my chauffeur driving me. I'm planning on driving a short distance on Sunday and having an open house for my daughter's house that's been on the market for a couple weeks now. It's just two hours but with luck we'll get some good traffic through the property.

Two weeks later

I'm two weeks after surgery tomorrow. That's suppose to be when I can drive, ride, or whatever in a car. Of course I don't have the doctor's okay until the 7th since I couldn't get an appointment this week. The doctor went on vacation this week. I'm feeling good enough to risk some trips out and about. I won't drive, but I'm gonna ride!

The neck scare is not as gross as it's been. The glue or plastic covering is coming off and things are looking better. With time it should blend nicely into the wrinkle that's formed around my neck.

No new books have been read. I did the proof reading for my cousin's family history that she wrote. It's almost 400 pages so it took a while. It was interesting to get the information that I haven't been able to track down on some of the branches. In all the names of all the people who have contributed to who I am, there's only one that I've found is original in spelling to what it was back in the 1600's. "Miller." Even the Smith's were changed from Schmidt. Some spellings are so far removed that they aren't even recognizable to what are used today. Guess when you get off a boat back in the 1700's and speak only German and can't write your name at all, you get what they think it sounds like. Your "V's" become "W's." Your "K's" become "C's." One relative in this book was accused of murder but was proven not guilty. Self defense was the ruling! The story definitely puts him and his sons down as far as being the dimmest bulbs in the box. A murderer and an idiot! Great! I have a great aunt who was the victim of an attempted murder. She was just 16 and spurned her former boyfriend. He decided to shoot her in the head and then kill himself. She took 3 head shots and walked away and he shot himself once. He followed her to her uncle's house and collapsed and later died. She cleaned up her own wounds and the next day was taken to the closest hospital by train, to get the bullets removed. I'm the one who found this information in old newspapers in my search and my cousin included it in the history. Nobody in the family ever mentioned it. It's amazing what we don't know and can no longer find out.

I'm reading "The Masque of the Black Tulip" by Lauren Willig. I've read her before and since then she's written 3 more books that are sequels. Fortunately I found it out before reading them out of sequence.

Spent the day yesterday with a new friend. She dropped by and brought knitting and quilting books for me to check out. I had lots of knitting and crocheting books of my own for her to peruse. Lots of laughter and some knitting and food made for a fun healing day. We're taking a road trip on Friday!

Another book

I've had lots of time to read but it's been a little difficult to do so. I finally managed to finish Michael Jecks' "The Malice of Unnatural Death." This author was recommended by my son as something he thought I might enjoy. I did! It was a little difficult to get all the different characters straight but the story was good. It was set in the early 1300's and that's what I like best. There was murder and intrigue so what more could a girl ask for. When the bodies of a local craftman and a King's messenger are found in the city of Exeter, England, Sir Baldwin de Furnshill, the Keeper of the King's Peace, and his friend Baliff Simon Puttock are implored by the Bishop to find out who was responsible. The dead messenger was carrying a dangerous secret that may prove fatal, should it fall into the wrong hands. Baldwin and Simon must find the murderer before he can strike again. But when murderers can use magic, no one is safe. I have several other books by this author and will look forward to reading them.

I had visitors today! My second and third cousins stopped by (Mother and daughter). There's a double relationship with these cousins. My grandfather and the second cousin's father were brothers and they married my grandmother and her mother. Two sisters married two brothers. Got it? Anyway, the daughter (3rd cousin) has been doing family history for a long time now and she's finally ready to publish the Sister's side of the family. She asked me to review the book and I'm anxious to do so. Been dying to get my hands on this information. She is almost ready to publish the Brother's side and that is something else I'm looking forward to. Guess I'll be putting the novels aside for a while until I get through this rather large book of family information. I didn't have a lot of history on this branch of the family and now I have back to 1661.

It was wonderful to have a visit! Been a lonely few days! Have a few twinges of pain now and then, especially at night, but doing pretty good today. My dust bunnies are mounting and since I can't bend at the waist I haven't been able to dress them up with bows. They're loving this lack of vacuuming!

Cabin fever...

Hello, is there anyone out there??????????????

Surgery - Day 6

I'm feeling the depression that comes from being confined to the house for days on end. My excursion on Sunday to the Grandson's birthday was probably more than I should have undertaken. Feeling rather stiff and sore since then. I was re-reading the "DO NOT DO" list today and realized it said that I couldn't bend at the waist. Now I'm really confused. How do you get in bed if you can't bend at the waist? Take a run and jump? It's hard enough to lower your head without hurting your neck and now you can't bend at the waist. Good planning! I didn't sleep well last night. Not quite two hours of sleep before I was wide awake. No good way to read comfortably either. I can't prop myself up in bed with multiple pillows the way I usually do to read. Can't bend my neck to read while sitting up so that means you have to hold the book up right. That isn't good since my hands still shake too much to do that. Might be a while till I get through this next book.

I'll be on my own for a long day tomorrow. Sure hope I have everything at the appropriate level before my hubby leaves in the morning. I'd have to have a handful of cereal and a swallow of milk from the jug if I don't remember to get a bowl put out for me. I know I'll forget something!

A High Wind in Jamaica

This book was written by Richard Hughes in 1929. It's time frame is the late 1800's and setting in the early part of the book is the island of Jamaica. The main characters are the Bas-Thorton children of English parents. Life on the island is carefree for the children. Then came the earthquake. Later that night their house is destroyed by a hurricane. The parents decide that maybe it's best to send their children back to England for an education so off they go without the parents. The landing in England is a long time coming and full of adventure. The children's lives are changed forever. Can't give away too much. An interesting and quick read.

On my own today! Husband went to work and life was rather lonely. If I don't plan ahead then I can't even get a cereal bowl on my own. It was wonderful having my family in attendance after the surgery. I have promised my husband though, that I won't do this on a regular basis just to get attention from my kids.

The Saga continues

I'm feeling a little stiff and sore today. Went to our grandson's 21st birthday party yesterday, even though car rides are on the "DO NOT DO" list for now. I was so tired when I got home last night that when the head hit the pillow (or I should say; lowered gently) it apparently didn't move all night and it's the first good night's sleep I've had in ages. That makes for a stiff neck in the morning though.

Lost an Uncle over the weekend. He was my Mother's younger brother and now there's only one left on that side. The oldest brother has survived them all. Just one more step up the ladder into that older generation. We replace what is lost!

I read Norah Lofts' novel "Knight's Acre" while recovering from the surgery. I love her novels because they are set in the 1400's and she makes history fun to read. Historical facts with a good story to boot. This one was based on the 3rd youngest son in a time, of course, where the eldest got it all, the 2nd son went to the church, and the younger went to be a knight if they were good enough. This son made a name for himself as a knight and spent most of his life fighting wars or tournaments to make his livelihood. His wife stayed home and raised the family while he went off on his pursuits. The hardships they both faced were extreme. Throw in the inevitable plague and you have a great read. This is an oldy! Written in 1975 so it's hard to find.

Madame Bovary

Well, I finished this classic and I'm at a loss for words. My son was just saying yesterday, that he liked it but he had read it in French. He's such a show off! Anyway, I think I would have liked it better if I'd read the French version. That way I would have recognized maybe one out of every hundred words and wouldn't have been so thoroughly bored by it. Absolutely hated it! Maybe it's because I read it though my health crisis but I don't think so. Anyway, I won't even go into details since I didn't think it was worth while.

Now that I've absorbed all the things to not be doing after this surgery, I've become paranoid about what I have already done. I was concerned my pillow was too high last night and that if I moved my head it would damage the bone grafting because I'd put the wrong pressure on my neck. All I know is that I stared at the ceiling for a long time before going to sleep and when I did wake up this morning I have a very stiff neck. If you can't lift your hands above your head, then being 5 foot 4 1/2 inches (guess I could be shorter now) puts me at a disadvantage when I need to get something off the 2nd shelf in the kitchen cabinets. Even the microwave is borderline. Brushing and washing my hair is suddenly a concern. I'll be a basket case soon or maybe I already am.

Back Home from Surgery!

I'm home from the overnight stay in the hospital. I went in yesterday morning at 8:00 and was into surgery at 9:30. I remember coming to in recovery and was in, as they like to say, level 7 of a 1-10 rating of pain. I know they were pushing plungers to get me comfortable but then I started feeling nauseous. This was somewhere around noon so the fact that I had not eaten since the night before might have been why I was feeling woozy. By 1:00 I was in my room surrounded by my daughter, son and husband and I felt a 100 percent better. They gave me the "happy button" to push for a morphine fix but I'm happy to report that I didn't need to do so. Last night was interesting. They came to give me laxatives and milk of magnesia since pain killers apparently block your system. They threw in a sleeping pill. This was at 10:00. The nurse then announced that he would be back to take my vitals in half an hour. Great, give me a sleeping pill and then tell me you'll be back to wake me in a half hour. I turned the light back on and picked up my latest book and figured I wait for them. An hour later they still weren't there so I shut everything down, including me. This was rather difficult with an oxygen tube up my noise (I'm a mouth breather so what was the point), an IV leading across my body to my left hand, leggings to prevent blood clots that pulsate on a rotating basis and a mattress that adjusts to your body with the same air pulsing as the leggings. My room was next to the nurses' station and the elevators with the pharmacy robot making continual deliveries all night long and having long computerized voiced discussions with the elevator. I doozed off in time be awakened for the inevitable vitals check at 11:15. Happy to report that I do have a blood pressure and my oxygen levels were sufficient even though I was breathing through my mouth. Back to sleep until I woke at 3:00 when I caught the nurse adding something to my IV rack. He whispered that he was giving me more antibiotics. More doozing and 10 minutes later the anbiotics had emptied and the bells and whistles were sounding from the IV rack. That was it! Lights on and book in hand. Within half an hour the other guy was back to check the vitals again (since I was awake). Still alive! I managed to dooze again for another hour and was up in time for the lovely breakfast of watered cream of wheat (which I love when I make it) but somehow made with water instead of milk and brown sugar it just isn't the same. I knew I was getting out so I showered and was as ready as I could be when the doctor showed up to give me the "dirty details" of yesterday's event. Something about grafting bone and limited neck movement for 6-8 weeks kind of through me off. I was feeling so good till then. Later the check out with the nurses gave me the rest of the information on what I can't do for a while. No driving, vacuuming (yeah, don't do that anyway, but now have an excuse), raising my hands above my head (should have mentioned this yesterday when I was showing off to everyone that came in the room), and lifting (which I pretty much have decided I'm never doing again since that's what got me in this mess to begin with. The best part was hanging with the family and enjoying their attention. Don't usually get captive audiences like that for long periods of time. I'm spoiled! Today I had the attention of my daughter for a while at the hospiital and my granddaughter and son since I got home. My son cut out early since, he too, suffers from insomnia and hasn't slept well with all I put him through this week. He wouldn't admit that but I think it's true. I truly could use a nap but am afraid I won't sleep tonight. Thanks to all who wished me well and said those wonderful prayers. All I'm apprehensive about now is the blood clots that the nurse warned me about before I left the hospital. Since I don't have the pulsating leggings to help me out I guess the hubby will have to stay awake all night and rub my legs. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

I thought I'd review "Madame Bovary" today but I fell asleep while reading it. That wasn't supposed to happen. Guess those sleeping pills do work just not 13 hours later.

Surgery

There's that dreaded word! It was thrown at me yesterday with no other option. I had to cry to the nurses to let me have an appointment with the neurosurgeon earlier than a week and a half from now and they took pity on me and gave me a 9:00 am slot yesterday morning. The first time I met with him I was improving so there was nothing to do but schedule a follow up for March. This time, after describing to him the pain that made me wrap my right arm up over my head and grab it with the left hand to keep from screaming he said my only options were drugs (which aren't taking much of the discomfort away) and cause me addiction or surgery and that would take place on Thursday. Great way to spend Valentine's Day! It's an over night stay and then home on Friday if all goes well. Apparently I jumped from being able to use therapy and traction to the bell ringer end of show! On top of this they sent me to get my pre-op done. Blood work, EKG, and chest x-ray. All that with my arm still wrapped around my head and a blood curdling scream just waiting to be released. Of course, yesterday was the day that my long awaited snow fall (whoopee, an inch) was coming down I had to deal with driving in that with one arm.

My daughter is taking the day off to sit and hold my hubby's hand while I'm going through this nightmare. Have to put on a brave face so he doesn't know that I'm scared, too! I guess the fact that this is happening fast is better than having to dwell on it for weeks or months. I have a cousin who's gone through this already and is now facing lower back reconstruction of her spine. One of the worst backs that the her surgeon has seen. I guess I have nothing to complain about when I think of what she's gone and going through. You can always find someone in much worse shape and realize the hand your dealt is a piece of cake.

I'm taking a book or two with me to the hospital but don't know if I'll get much reading done. Always prepared though. I started a really old one. "Madame Bovary" by Gustave Flaubert. I finished off "The Orchard Keeper" by Cormac McCarthy. I loved his "The Road." I liked his "All the Pretty Horses." I loved his "No Country for Old Men." I hated this one! Actually started it months ago and was so disgusted with it that I put it aside with only 40 pages to go and didn't bother picking it back up again until yesterday. It's finished and if I would have read it first, I wouldn't have probably read anything else by him. Good thing I didn't.

Two more

I've had lots of time to read since I'm basically bed bound. I will be venturing out this morning to see the dreaded neurosurgeon again. I guess this time he won't be giving me encouragement because I'm doing so much better. Oh Boy! I had to beg for an appointment.

I read a Maeve Binchy book called "Star Sullivan." Very short book and once again a wonderful story by the Irish author. Star just wanted everyone to be happy - wanted her father to stop gambling, her mother not to work so hard, her brother to stay out of trouble, her sister to stop worrying about her weight. This was life for her until Laddy moved in next door and everything began to change. She was no longer the sweet, thoughtful girl everyone loved and no one worried about.

I also read James Patterson's "7th Heaven." Talk about a short read! My husband brought it home to me about 4:00 and I finished it by midnight with several naps in between. Patterson could save paper if he wrote longer chapters. This one was about the Women's Murder Club (four women who join forces to solve the crimes) and there were two story lines going at the same time. A serial arsonist/murderer and the disappearance of a former governor's son. A typical Patterson page turner.

We got a dusting of snow this morning. Just enough to make it miserable to drive and not enough to keep me home.

Berg Again

Since I'm back to being immobile (sans medication) I got to read Elizabeth Berg's "Talk Before Sleep." It's a book of friendship through the best and worst that life can dish out. Just 210 pages!

I still haven't been out to get the Patterson book so I'll have to resort to the stack I've got in reserve.

Well worth the read

I finished Stephen King early this morning. The pain in the "neck/shoulder" got me awake very early and I had to resort to more than Tylenol to ease it. I must admit that until about 3/4 of the way through the book it wasn't too bizarre. The last part was really freaky and so typical of his writing. Definitely brought back the days of his novels of the 80's and early 90's. The character is Edgar and he's suffered a horrible accident on a job site of his construction company. His truck is crushed by a crane and he's trapped inside with severe head injuries, broken ribs, crushed arm and hip. He loses the arm but survives with much therapy. He's thinking and memory are affected, also he has trouble controlling his anger, but it's hoped in time that all this will improve. His business is very successful and there's plenty of money to take the time off he needs. Unfortunately his wife is afraid of the new him and she divorces him. It's recommended by his psychiatrist that he take a year and go off to a different location and life and try something he might enjoy. He dabbled in cartooning as a kid and thought he'd give sketching and painting a try. He rents a house on the Gulf in the Keys in Florida and that's where his new life begins. Rehabilitation is difficult but he struggles through. His art work is a "hit." Is the island the reason? Is there something there that is taking control? Does his elderly neighbor have something to do with it? Definitely worth reading this one!

Might have to hold off on getting my James Patterson for a few days until I'm feeling better. I do have other books to read. I'll just need to pick something that won't take too long so I can be ready when I get the new one.

Pain again!

I was sleeping soundly when I must have turned wrong and then there was this horrible pain shooting down my arm. Whatever happened, I awakened the sleeping herniated disk and it's back with a vengence. I should have knocked on wood yesterday when I was telling someone how much better I felt recently. That'll teach me! Getting awake in the middle of the night and resorting to reading is usually a good thing. Reading Stephen King in the middle of the night is not! Scary! I'm on page 471 of the over 600 pages and it's getting to the point when you don't want to continue but you have to. Don't think night time reading is a good thing till I've finished this book.

I got my first real estate inquiry tonight at the office. I've done about 10 duties so far since I've returned to this agency and nothing. This will probably be nothing but at least the phone rang. I listed my daughter's house last night and there's a showing set up for it already. That's a good sign! Maybe Spring will improve the market even though that's not what my gut is telling me.

Getting ready to close the office and head home but a little side trip to the Chinese restaurant is in order. Happy New Year to my Chinese friends! It's the year of the Rat and that's my sign so I must celebrate.

Winter blahs!

It's so depressing when you look outside and see nothing green. Just brown and gray. I just want a wonderful blizzard of about 3 feet to cover everything and make it fresh. My friend in Michigan writes that they've had 60 inches of snow already and it's almost a daily event. I'll take it! Of course, it would be tough to shovel with the neck and shoulder thing but hopefully I'd be prepared and willing to sit around till it melted. Not like the career I've chosen is something that causes me to have to be out and about in bad weather.

I'm about midway through the Stephen King novel "Duma Key" and it's great! He's definitely back in the saddle. Unless it ends badly, that is. It's a page turner for sure. Taking a little while to read because it's a rather big book. I have to finish it since there's a James Patterson coming out tomorrow and I always like to get it and read it right away. Might be a few days this time before I can get to it.

A day out

I took an afternoon trip to a couple of local yarn shops yesterday. A former client and now friend asked me to go to a new shop that opened recently not far from where I live and off we went. The shop is rather small and was very expensive. A small selection of yarn was available but I was assured that the owner could get whatever we wanted quickly. After leaving there we went to a more established shop a little further away. This one was huge! The offered weaving lessons and looms to use during the training. I'd always thought I'd like to give it a try but after checking out the prices on the looms and seeing tags with amounts close to $5000 I decided that it might not be something I should fall in love with. My great great great grandfather was a rather famous weaver in Pennsylvania. There's even a book published with his patterns. The selection of yarns and threads at this shop was mind boggling. I wanted to bring tons of it home. It's been a little while since I've knitted or crochetted and I was itching to make something. Too many choices! The friend with me is an avid knitter and quilter (which is something that I never had a desire to try). I do enjoy knitting and decided on trying out some of the new yarns on some new patterns of scarves.

I finished Maeve Binchy's "Light a Penny Candle." I've read her quite often and always enjoy her books. A wonderful Irish author! This book was written in 1982 and somehow I'd missed it. Once again the story started with WWII and the setting was London. A child was being evacuated to Ireland to live with Irish friends to keep her safe from the war. At the age of 10 she went from living with her rather remote parents to a family full of children in a strange country. She and the Irish daughter became best of friends. After 5 years in Ireland she returns to London to try to live with her parents. It wasn't long till her mother left them and sought a new life with a new man. The daughter stayed with the father and at 15 became the housekeeper. She finished school and then college. Her friend in Ireland barely finished school and went on to secretarial school. Over the years there were few chances for visits between the two girls but through trials and mistakes they made in their lives they were brought back to the closeness they had shared for those early years. A great story of friendship even with differences in background and religion.

Wonderful Story

I quickly finished Elizabeth Berg's "Dream When You're Feeling Blue." A story of a large family set in Chicago during WWII. It was about their lives while the war was going on and what they did while their loved ones were away in Europe or the Pacific. About their sacrifices for the war effort and the job the oldest daughter took in the factory to feel she was doing her part in some way. How the sisters spent their evenings at the servicemen's club helping keep up the morale of the soldiers passing through or simply writing to many of them while they did their duty for their country. Also, what those years did to change their lives and make them so very different. Hated to see the book end. Beautifully written as all Elizabeth Berg's novels are.

I haven't read Stephen King novels in quite a few years. He was hurt in an accident back in 1999 and after that I just couldn't enjoy his books any longer. His writing seemed to suffer just like he did. I started two of the books he wrote back then and just couldn't finish them. I saw an interview this morning on the TODAY Show and I understand his latest one is getting rave reviews. Compared it to his novel, "It", from 20 years ago, which I loved. I might have to give Stephen another chance. He promised to scare the reader especially if it's read late at night. I'm not rushing out to buy it but if I see it along the way I'll give it a try. I have plenty of books stockpiled now to see me through a few months. Not to mention the ones that are coming out soon that I'll just have to have.